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KIDS AND STRESS They talk about handling the crush Adult life is supposed to be filled with stress, while a child’s life is simple and carefree. Right? Actually, no. A new survey of 875 children ages 9-13 explains, from their point of view, what parts of young lives send the crush up their spines. Grades, school and homework (36%) top the list of most stressful responses, according to KidsPoll, conducted by the Department of Health Education and Recreation at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. That was followed by family (32%), and friends/peers (21%). While children may never say, “I’m stressed,” how they react to stressful times might be a clue for parents. When asked how they respond to feeling stressed or upset, the respondents noted that they: •Play or do something active (52%) •Listen to music (44%) •Watch TV or play a video game (42%) •Talk to a friend (30%) •Try not to think about it (29%) While talking with helpful adults is an important stress-coper, “talking to a parent” ranked low on the priority list. It was 9th on the list, with 22% saying they do this a lot and 28% saying they never do this. A small percentage of children responded that they hurt themselves on purpose when stressed or upset. Obviously, such an action requires an immediate discussion with the pediatrician. Best advice to parents from the children? Some 57% said parents should “talk to them about it.” As the poll shows, children are not apt to approach a parent, but a majority hopes a parent will approach them. For a list of tips for parents to help children: www.kidshealth.org/breaking_news/kidspoll_stress.html For tips for kids to help themselves: www.kidshealth.org/kid/talk/kidssay/poll_stress.html For survey findings and other 2005 KidsPolls: nahec.org/KidsPoll. |
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